Sept. 23--Facebook videos are about to get more interactive. The social network announced Wednesday it now supports 360-degree videos.
Facebook users now can both upload 360-degree videos to the platform, and interact with them in web browsers by dragging the video around with their mouse, or on Android devices by dragging or tilting the screen (the feature will come to iPhone in the coming months).
The feature will launch with partners that include Disney, GoPro and Saturday Night Live, who will have exclusive 360-degree videos in Facebook's news feed.
360-degree video is a relatively new form of media, and camera makers have only recently started making 360-degree cameras for consumers. Camera enthusiasts have long experimented with home-brewed, multicamera rigs that capture footage from all angles, but often faced the problem of not having a platform on which to upload and share their videos.
YouTube tried to solve the problem earlier this year when it announced its support for 360-degree videos, and now Facebook is offering its own solution.
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The move makes sense for the social network, particularly because it owns virtual reality headset and content maker Oculus VR, for which 360-degree video is a pillar. The Oculus Rift headset is expected to launch in 2016.
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